Review: He Started It

He Started It by Samantha Downing
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once again, I absolutely loved a book that many others just didn’t. In fact, I devoured it in one sitting, inhaling every word. Samantha Downing has truly mastered the art of the unreliable narrator and uses it to great effect here by presenting a narrator who, at first blush, appears to be forthright and self-aware. Downing needs this foundation to build a house of cards that is forever just one sway away from collapse.

When the book begins, we learn that three siblings, and two of their spouses, are embarking upon a journey to satisfy the stipulations in Grandpa’s will—to fully recreate a road trip they all took together many year prior. Do so together and without being arrested, and Grandpa’s estate, worth millions, is theirs. From the time the reader learns of the premise, he is lulled in a false sense of almost complacency when things seem to progress slowly and without incident. Just when one is certain that the plot is plodding towards an unremarkable end, Downing serves up a series of twists that are nearly impossible to predict. The reader learns to pay close attention to everything and believe nothing.

This is the second novel I’ve read by this author, and in both, the artistry carries the story, though definitely with a better outcome here. The interwoven plot lines, furthered by narration that seems to be just slightly left of center, left me wanting to follow the characters through to see what they experienced once the story ended. I hated leaving their lives, knowing that with the turn of the final page, they would be forever silenced—unless, of course, Downing can be convinced to write a sequel. I’d be first in line for the release.

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Review: My Lovely Wife

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS

What a disturbing piece of work. The premise is full of promise—a husband and wife who together fantasize about and then plan the murder of young women in their community. From the beginning, however, there is something just a tad askew, and this author makes deliberate choices to foster that feeling of imbalance and unease.

The initial choice is in the format—a first-person narrative, told by an unreliable, self-centered father of two. His style is almost “simple” as he periodically drifts into a retelling of the past that is disjointed and served in bite-sized snippets sprinkled generously over the pages. He makes the leap so often as to create a dizzying and sometimes surreal reading experience.

The second choice is in making the narrator so damn unlikable. His entire life is clearly a series of events controlled by his wife, though he is supposedly blissfully unaware of just how completely he is being manipulated. The reader, however, is permitted to glimpse this lack of awareness as his story unfolds and his world systematically and deliberately shrinks, threatening to suffocate him in the process—or at least that’s what he tells us. It is as if he is sleepwalking through a fog, though if the reader chooses to do so, he can squint and just make out what’s hidden there. In this way it is a tale of two halves—a straightforward story that can be, if desired, examined for myriad not-so-hidden clues as to what lies just around the bend.

Another interesting and disconcerting choice by the author is to render the narrator somehow “less” by never even giving him a name. This makes it difficult for the reader to fully engage, as without a name we are left with the knowledge that we really don’t know him at all beyond what he is willing to share. Every fact, story and recollection is suspect, as they are offered only after being processed through his filter, possibly full of omissions and half-truths. It is impossible to believe that the narrator is as gullible and naive as he presents himself to be.

In the end, though I can’t say I “liked” this book, I did appreciate the author’s artistry, particularly her ability to keep me from ever feeling “sure-footed”. I questioned everything, making the reading more mental-gymnastics than enjoyable.

Four stars for a unique approach and flawless follow-through. Just not my cuppa joe.

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Review: The Guest List

The Guest List by Lucy Foley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lucy Foley is an absolute genius! I love an author who can take a series of unrelated facts, sprinkle them liberally into the main plot, then bring them together in a conclusion that is both jaw-dropping and brilliant—and Foley has done so beautifully!

There isn’t a single thing about this novel that I disliked, but I was most impressed with the character development. This author has created a cast as diverse as they are engaging. Each has a story and carries baggage that is seemingly just extraneous information meant to add interest. Nothing, in the end, however, is trivial or included without intent, and these people, brought to life under the watchful eye of Foley, collide in ways the reader never sees coming. The structure switches narration from chapter to chapter, allowing us to invest fully in the story as we are guided to make predictions based on the insight each character provides. Nothing, however, can prepare us for the myriad twist and turns which leave the reader unsettled and slightly off-kilter.

This is definitely a well-written mystery that will grab you and take you along for the ride. Make sure you set aside a few hours, as you won’t want to put it down until the last page has been turned! Four big stars!

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Review: The Night Swim

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s been far too long since I’ve encountered a five-star read, though it’s not been for lack of trying. This year, I’ve scoured reviews and read dozens of books that others rave about, only to be disappointed in not only public sentiment but also the bar that seems to have been lowered in order to award that prestigious top-shelf rating. Finally, FINALLY, I’m able to join the majority in heralding a breakthrough. The Night Swim was, indeed, a read worthy of all five stars.

The book is a tale of two halves—two meticulously married plots running along parallel tracks until in the final moments their paths converge. I can’t say there were any real surprises here for me, so it wasn’t necessarily the story itself that warrants the rating. What earned those stars was the craftsmanship of the writing. Author Megan Goldin brilliantly develops just enough of her characters to lure us in, leaving the question of guilt or innocence to the reader’s discretion, but not without her chumming the waters. She tells a modern day tale of a young girl accusing a hometown hero of rape. At face value, this storyline is presented without bias—a reiteration of the facts of the case as presented at trial. The second plot, however, is emotion-laden and portrays the tragic story of a young girl who, 25 years earlier, perished—the townsfolk calling it an accidental drowning, her younger sister insisting it was murder. As the two plots unfold, the circumstances surrounding the second story brilliantly and almost imperceptibly color the reader’s perceptions of the first. The reader’s anger at a misogynistic society that thrives on victim-blaming is stoked to a fiery blaze that carries over as the plot focus swings back and forth. This imprinting on the reader renders one hard-pressed to separate one victim from the other, assigning unassailable guilt to the golden boy accused of viciously and brutally raping his young victim, long before the evidence is heard and the final verdict revealed.

For anyone who finds brilliant writing to sometimes be more important and enjoyable than the content itself, this book is a MUST read. To be fair, at its heart, the story stands on its own merits as a mediocre legal thriller. Couple it with Goldin’s incredible talent, however, and what emerges is a book worthy of all the stars.

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Review: Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing

Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing by Allison Winn Scotch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was difficult to finish, as it just failed to engage me on a number of fronts. First, the plot seemed cliche and predictable. Second, most of the characters were stereotypes with added traits that attempted to render them more modern or PC. Finally, I just didn’t like ANY of the characters. Not a single one.

I won’t again summarize the plot, as many here have already done so much better than I ever could. Suffice it to say, the conclusion could be written by damn near anyone who had read the first twenty pages. This predictability was fairly routine throughout the book, and so nothing that happened was either unexpected or engaging. I found myself thinking, “Pffft. Big surprise” and punctuating those thoughts with eye rolls. What was NOT predictable, however, were some of the nuances that ran counterintuitive to the stereotypes perpetuated by the characters themselves.

WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

Cleo is a woman who, according to her own diatribes, is successful and fiercely independent. For someone so intent upon being self sufficient, she sure lamented her lack of relationships—over and over and over. The other characters were cliches with PC attachments. Gaby is the strong black woman who values her reputation then sleeps with and subsequently sexts a white man she barely knows. Emily is a housewife who is admittedly and outwardly bi-sexual. Doug is a happily married gay man. Bowen is a gorgeous womanizer with a conscience. Lucas is a broody teenager, mature enough to call an ambulance rather than his own mother when he gets sick. Each is a caricature with at least one trait that makes him, or her, a bit unbelievable and difficult to “like”. Perhaps no character, however, is as unlikable as Cleo herself.

Cleo spends a great deal of time telling us three things. One, she is strong and independent. Two, she was a young, driven single mother. And three, that she has regrets. These three pieces form the basis of the novel, and of each page within each chapter. She repeats them so often that I almost gave up on the reading. She came off as arrogant, self-absorbed and unfriendly. The author does such a good job at painting her as a female piranha, when she tried to work in Cleo’s change of heart about damn near everything she has said she stands for, it falls horribly flat. Her “Only Forward” campaign slogan is laughable in light of the amount of time she spends in her past; her disingenuous attempts at apologies read as being only thinly veiled attempts to get ahead in the public eye; and her cut-throat antics never seem to bite back. Instead, every regret turns out to be a step forward for her. Though she purports to address her life regrets to “make things right”, she never seems remorseful and simply spins her mistakes to her advantage.

Overall, this took me almost three days to read, as I kept putting it back on the shelf. Once finished, I had my own regrets—at having invested so much time in a book that never really paid off. Three stars, and that’s being generous,

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Review: One to Watch

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have a confession to make—I am a reality show addict. It’s a guilty pleasure that has both entertained and plagued me over the years, so this, a book ABOUT my vice, called to me like a siren song.

Bea is a plus size blogger—and not that “I’m a size 14 and too big for the catwalk” kinda plus. No, Bea is truly a large gal, and she has the scars of humiliation to prove she’s been to war because of it. When a reality show that generally caters to the thin and self—absorbed (think Bachelorette) asks Bea to come on board and shake things up as the single lady looking for love, the stage is set for Bea’s emotional journey to tv stardom. She hesitantly accepts the challenge, is introduced to a field of 25 eligible men who have not been told she isn’t the typical contestant, and through a series of elimination rounds is expected to choose just one—a man who could potentially become her husband.

As a woman who has been both rail-thin, morbidly obese, and every conceivable weight in between, this hit home for me and triggered some feelings that were as difficult as they were painful. Author Kate Stayman-London doesn’t shy away from examining public prejudice when it comes to being overweight, and the result is gritty and sometimes tough to read. She draws back the curtain on what it means to be fat in a world that worships anorexic-looking models who look like they haven’t enjoyed a meal in months, and she taps in to the misogynistic “boys club” whose members, even as adults, snicker, sneer and bully large women.

Though the book is at times dark and sobering, it is also a story about learning who you are and to love the person in the mirror. It’s about taking a chance and discovering you are enough. Four stars for a solid read!




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Review: Unspeakable Things

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book—and was so sad to turn the final page. I wanted to continue to peer into the lives of the characters author Jess Lourey penned into life. With this enthusiastic recommendation, however, come a few caveats.

*First, if you’re looking for a beach read that is all fluff, you’re out of luck here. The story is, at its heart, gritty and powerful, sobering and sometimes painful to read.

*Second, the reader needs to be schooled in the art of inference, as Lourey depends heavily on one’s ability to read between the lines. Nothing is laid bare, though the truth is there, simmering just below the surface, almost too horrific to say out loud.

*Third, those born with the proverbial silver spoon may have a profoundly difficult time feeling the empathy for the main character, Cassie, that makes this such a powerful read. If, however, you know or have known poverty, her experiences will pierce your heart and certainly bring tears. When Cassie is invited to a birthday party, she has no way to purchase a gift for the birthday girl. Instead, she wraps up her own necklace—a gift that is so dear to her that she kept it protected in its original box instead of daring to wear it. You can almost feel her desperate need to be liked and accepted, at whatever it costs her personally. My heart broke.

*Fourth, if you like your reads all to be wrapped nicely with a neat and tidy conclusion, you will want to sail past this offering and not look back.

WARNING: semi-spoilers ahead!

I’ve seen some reviews that complained about unanswered questions. That’s the beauty of the read, and what made it SO haunting. There ARE no answers, no fairy tale endings. The world is full of monsters, and life can be messy and unfair, even for a child. The ending was exactly what the story demanded—more inference, more predicting, more hope for salvation for two children caught in the web of their parent’s debauchery.

If you want to think—and feel—and most certainly hurt, read this now, tonight. It will surely stay with you long after you put it aside and turn out the lights.

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Review: The Bone Jar

The Bone Jar by S.W. Kane
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Ok, you’re going to need a few things before you even THINK about starting this book. First, you will need to read in an environment that is wholly conducive to COMPLETE concentration. Second, you will need, at a minimum, a writing utensil and a sheet of paper, preferably a grid. Better yet, a digital spreadsheet, with an unlimited number of rows and columns. NOW you can sit down and give it a go. Seriously. Without the aforementioned requirements, there is simply no way to track the myriad characters and intersecting plots. After awhile, I simply gave up trying to remember who killed whom, when and where; who gave birth to whom and when. I just wanted to finish the damn thing.

The writing itself is sound—well-constructed sentences and paragraphs. It’s sad when that is the most positive thing I can offer. The characters are one-dimensional and once established begin to behave in ways that are in direct opposition to their development. The plot has more holes than a sponge, and the suspense is lost in a confusing tangle of relationships. So much of what is here is just a series of extraneous subplots—the book would have fared far better without them.

I had high hopes for this one and am still smarting over the bait and switch of the blurb. Pick another way to spend an afternoon.

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Review: Size Zero

Size Zero by Abigail Mangin
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Still reading, but I honestly can’t tell whether this is worthless drivel, biting satire that takes aim at the fashion industry and organized religion, or a hormonal teenager’s attempt to exorcise his inner demons and angst. Struggling to finish and am hoping for a payoff that makes it worth the effort. The blurb held such promise. ::sigh::

Edited to add:
I. Just. Can’t. This is a DNF and has earned a spot on my “OMG Bad!” shelf. Five stars for whomever promoted the hell out of this. One star for the book itself.

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Review: The Authenticity Project

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked up The Authenticity Project after watching it slide past several times on my Amazon suggested reading list—and I am so glad I did. There are literally dozens of reviews that rehash the plot, so I won’t ply you with redundant details. What I will say is that I enjoyed the reading, though at times Clare Pooley seems to revert to cliched and hackneyed phrasing and improbable scenarios that, in the end, made this a three star, rather than a four star novel. Even with these negatives, there were plenty of positives to balance the scales. The characters were “interesting” and engaging, and I found myself rooting for each of them in spite of their inherent flaws. Julian, the elderly gentleman with the vivid imagination and wardrobe to match, was by far my favorite in this cast of players, and it is he who rescues the book when the plot becomes a bit muddied.

The overall premise is original and promised, from the start, a introspective journey that begged the question, “Everybody lies about their lives. What would happen if you shared the truth?” When the masks are removed, and the pretenses are dropped, what remains is one’s authentic self. Pooley examines this unveiling and acknowledges that knowing, and owning, what is revealed is a difficult process that can take a lifetime.

If you’ve ever found yourself fed up with trying to be everything to everyone, this book may cause you to reevaluate all you thought was important. An easy read with a predictable conclusion—set aside an afternoon, as you will want to devour it in one go!



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Review: The Dream Job

The Dream Job by Kiersten Modglin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This page-turner grabbed my attention and kept me glued to my seat—until it didn’t. The plot is intriguing. Autumn is a woman running out of options. She is taking care of an ailing mother, working a dead-end job and facing an ever-mounting stack of bills. Her string of job interviews have been dead ends, and her self confidence is taking a beating. When she is informed that she has made it to round two of the interview process for a job that pays a cool half million a year, Autumn sees it as her last chance at salvation. This interview, however, will be like no other. The applicants who have made the first cut are taken to a remote location where they remain for five days, during which time they participate in challenges that will test their resolve. None know anything about the nature of the work or even the name of the company, and all proceed on blind faith. Autumn is suddenly faced with a dilemma that brings her face to face with the core of who she is and leads her to question how far she is willing to go in the pursuit of the almighty dollar.

So the plot was most certainly engaging and built suspense that was all encompassing. The characters were well-developed and believable, diverse in spite of their common goal. The let down was in the final reveal. Without spoilers, suffice it to say I found the climax and denouement rather ANTI-climactic and hugely disappointing. After the time invested in reading, and the rollercoaster of emotions, I just couldn’t swallow what Modglin was serving. The wrap up felt forced and seemed to count on an emotional response to carry it through. Absent that engagement, it, for me, fell flat.

Overall, a promising premise with a poorly executed conclusion. I could only manage three, overly generous stars.


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Review: The Oracle Year

The Oracle Year by Charles Soule
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m a little surprised at the lower ratings on this novel. I am usually a harsh critic and often find myself perplexed by the higher ratings. This time, however, I found myself completely engaged from beginning to end and struggling to understand those who didn’t share the experience.

Will Dando is a relatively young, part time musician when one morning he awakens after a very strange dream. In it, he heard spoken a series of 108 “predictions”—some seemingly innocuous and others with implications for the entire world, each with a date as to when it will transpire. He immediately jots them down, and it isn’t long before Dando realizes that the predictions are, without fail, actually spot on. He and a friend then conspire to anonymously release some of the more mundane predictions via a website, building an audience of believers suddenly willing to pay millions for information that will benefit the bottom line for themselves and their companies. Dando is known only as the Oracle and is a raging global phenomenon, as the entire world anxiously anticipates the release of more “predictions”. When the consequences of releasing, and selling, the byproduct of Will’s dream begin to globally wreak havoc, he questions his role in the big picture, if there IS a big picture, even as he dodges those searching to discover his identity.

Are there holes in the logic here? You bet. Reading takes a willing suspension of disbelief in order to fully enjoy the story. The writing, however, is sound; the characters, secondary to the book’s themes. Below the surface lies a running social commentary that takes on power, authority and organized religion. It is in this commentary that the strengths of the novel lie. The conclusion is rather anti-climactic, but after the rollercoaster ride of the read, that wasn’t such a bad thing at all.

Overall, an enjoyable few hours spent reading while on the drive to the lake.

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Review: Dear Edward

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So here’s a book that is incredibly well-written—structurally unique, engaging characters and captivating plot. Ann Napolitano is simply brilliant. Why not five stars then? Because this book wasn’t an “enjoyable” read. From the first page, there was a heaviness that settled onto my chest, like a great weight that made it difficult to breath. I was in tears for much of the reading, and the rest of the time was spent anxiously awaiting the next heartbreak. There is just nothing positive about a 12 year old boy losing his parents and beloved brother—nothing happy or exciting or even smile-worthy.

When I read academically, I am more apt to be open to morose, sobering subject matter, but when I read for pleasure, I am torn in two by tragedy. Don’t avoid this one if you can handle the emotional turmoil. If, however, you find that you are, like me, negatively impacted by this kind of read, I might suggest thinking twice.

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Review: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this, and for the first hundred or so pages, I did! Lydia experiences the loss of her fiancé, Freddie, and is given pills to help her sleep. What she finds when she takes them, however, is that while asleep she is transported to a world where Freddie is alive and well and their relationship is intact. The chapters then randomly switch between alternate universes for Lydia—one in which she grieves and another in which she and Freddie are a couple.

The premise, though far fetched, is attractive for its possibilities. Anyone who has loved and lost certainly has thought about the “what if’s”, and Lydia actually gets to experience them first hand. Beyond the premise, though, the book just falls short of being engaging and instead slogs along, mired in melodrama and angst. Additionally, Josie Silver’s use of the color pink, over and over, fails to serve a clear purpose and feels redundant. Beyond that, the chapters are slow, and the progress is so leisurely that it’s painful. Finally, the conclusion is predictable and cliche, obvious from the first ten pages. Perhaps a hundred less pages and a more condensed version of the story would have helped.

Overall, great idea poorly executed.

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Review: Beach Read

Beach Read by Emily Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the perfect read for a warm summer afternoon. Though at first blush this novel would appear to be a light piece of chick lit, the undertones were sometimes dark, and always insightful. Beach Read offers up a plot that begs the question of how well we really know one another, even when the ties that bind us seem to be well-knotted.



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Review: Big Summer

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a definite departure from what I have come to expect from author Jennifer Weiner and, as such, a tad puzzling. As I was reading. I kept trying to find a frame of reference re: genre, but the focus seemed to change so frequently that I was just never able to affix a label. On one hand, the main character’s self-deprecating humor and insecurity made this a chick lit natural. The introduction of BFFs and a love interest had nearly sealed the deal. Then suddenly, an untimely murder cranked this book square into the category of the mystery. Somewhere in that mix is also an attempt at social commentary. I have to say, I wish Weiner had stuck to the script.

Once the murder had occurred and main character Daphne donned her Sherlock Homes hat and jumped aboard the Mystery Machine with Scooby and Shaggy, I disengaged and remained apart from the action for the remainder of the story. I wasn’t able to buy in to the sudden character shift, and when it was time for the big reveal, the whole thing took on a Clue vibe that was more “hokey” than suspenseful.

The parts of this novel that were really polished to a shine were Daphne’s moments of introspection and retrospection. It is this incredible ability to bring her characters to life that sets Weiner apart as a world-class writer, and, had she stuck with her strengths, this novel would have been a sure fire winner. Instead, the piece veers off course and never recovers enough momentum to cross the finish line.

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Review: Sorry I Missed You

Sorry I Missed You by Suzy Krause
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Where to begin, where to begin. When I first dove into this read, I really enjoyed the premise—three women, ages representative of different stages in a woman’s life, end up renting different floors of the same house. When a letter asking for a meeting arrives, fairly mangled and nearly unreadable, in their jointly shared mailbox, each is secretly hopeful that the letter is meant for her. They quickly discover that all three have been “ghosted” in different ways, whilst at the same time they discover what appear to be ghosts living in the attic. The rest of the book unravels the back story of each woman, bringing them closer to one another and to the ultimate truths they seek

So the plot works...until it doesn’t. Warning—minor spoilers ahead.

The author’s attempt to offer parallel stories for the three main characters is unbalanced and uncomfortable. Some of the explored elements of each backstory are extraneous and over explained, adding nothing to further the action, while others are deemed critical but then never followed through to a resolution. The backstories are, in fact, so unbalanced as to make at least one of them seem petty and trivial. A woman jilted at the altar is developed as a stereotype of the bitter old maid who just can’t navigate new technologies, while the murder of a teen sibling is treated in a manner that wholly diminishes and marginalizes the tragedy. I found myself angry with the treatment of BOTH stories, though for completely different reasons. To even juxtapose them simply didn’t work, making this approach feel artificial and forced. The remaining thread being pulled throughout examines one woman’s inability to reconcile her own failures with the widely recognized successes of her friends. This piece of the book lacked a solid foundation upon which to build and engage me, so each time it was mentioned, I found myself thinking, “So what?”.

In the end, I was able to look past most of the inconsistencies—until the book moved to its conclusion. It seriously felt like the author had poured heart and soul into the first 3/4 of the book and then had nothing left to wrap it up. It ends on such a ludicrous note as to ruin any enjoyment the rest of the book may have offered. Instead of “oh, how cute” that the author seemed to be pushing for, I was left with “WTF? Really?”...and that is just never a good place to stop.

Read for the journey—it’s a fun ride in spite of the lax treatment of some serious subjects. Just don’t expect much of the destination.

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Review: The Last Flight

The Last Flight by Julie Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lots has been said about the plot, so I won’t reinvent the wheel. I will say that while I really enjoyed this read, I did feel that sometimes the author got bogged down in the narrative exposition. I found myself rolling my eyes more than once, frustrated with the flash-back format, and just wanting to get on with the story. I have to give Clark credit, however, for creating believable, sympathetic characters who were incredibly engaging. This is a solid beach read that will stay with you!

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Review: Writers & Lovers

Writers & Lovers by Lily King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For me, this novel was a tale of two halves. I will admit to ALMOST initially chalking it up to a flop. Whilst the writing was sound, the story seemed to meander into nothing and back again without any threads to grasp and follow. There was a lot of character introspection, but it was redundant and seemingly overplayed. Somewhere just shy of the halfway point, however, I realized with some surprise that I was hooked. I had started to root for Casey, the almost tragic main character, and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Certainly Casey is suffering far more than mild depression, and it’s clear that her frequent breakdowns warrant some intervention, but she is isolated and insulated by choice, carefully choosing which aspects of her life to reveal and to whom. This dichotomy is followed through to a resolution that was both satisfying and healing—bravo, Lily King. Bravo.

For anyone who has suddenly looked up and realized that fleeting youth is in the rear view, this novel will be relatable and perhaps instructional, if not inspirational. When do we pack up unfulfilled dreams and move on, and how much do we sacrifice in the process? This one is definitely worth a read.

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Review: Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I just closed the cover on this gem and am breathless and exhausted! Author Max Brooks has definitely hit another one out of the park with Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre.

As a child of the 60s and 70s, Bigfoot was a cultural phenomenon that captured the imagination of every kid I knew, so when I saw that Sasquatch was at the heart of this book, I knew I had to read it. I waded in wary of how “campy” it might be, and climbed out with the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end and looking over my shoulder. No camp here. Instead, the horror was doled out generously, offered up in a format that lent to the believability.

If you enjoy reading a novel that makes your heart race and that scares the bejesus out of you, purchase this and set aside a few hours. You won’t want to put it down!

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Review: The Invitation

The Invitation by Rachel Abbott
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I am, yet again, perplexed at the number of 5 star ratings awarded this book. Until the last thirty pages, I may have been able to understand a reader having an appreciation of Abbott’s craftsmanship; however, any redeeming qualities were lost to one of the most inane conclusions ever penned. I just don’t understand a prolific author like Abbott ever thinking that this in any way worked. I am so disgusted with the betrayal of reader trust that I am loathe to spend even one more minute bothering to write a review. Listen, when someone invests hours reading a lengthy piece of work, the expectation is a payoff of at least a plausible finale. Unfortunately, Abbott falls so far short that I wonder if she simply tripped over the finish line and threw her hands up, yelling, “I give up!” Seriously. It’s the only explanation that makes any sort of sense. Read to enjoy the journey, but be aware that the destination is a profound disappointment.

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Review: Find Me

Find Me by Anne Frasier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you’ve read In My Father’s Basement, you may at first be lulled into a false sense of deja vu. Don’t become complacent, however, or the twists and turns may just knock your legs out from under you! Frazier does a brilliant job creating characters we both like and root for, whilst at the same time planting seeds of doubt about each of them. Without offering spoilers, I will say that for me the only place this one fell short was in the incomplete closure, though I suppose that leaves the door open for a sequel.

Definitely worth the read.

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Review: Romeo's Rules

Romeo's Rules by James Scott Bell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

If you are searching for a book full of testosterone and Fight Club antics performed by a pretentious wannabe-intellectual, this is DEFINITELY the right read for you! On the other hand, should you prefer things like a believable plot and well-developed characters, with a minimum of unwarranted machismo, avoid this at all costs. If Mike Hammer, Hulk Hogan and Noam Chomsky had a weird threesome and simultaneously impregnated Jerry Springer, the result would be Mike Romeo, title character and a man able to engage in myriad pissing matches and win each and every one. He must have a seriously huge....amount of inner fortitude. Any further commentary on my part would probably consist of snippy little barbs, so before I go there....oh, wait...

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Review: The Guest List

The Guest List by Lucy Foley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lucy Foley is an absolute genius! I love an author who can take a series of unrelated facts, sprinkle them liberally into the main plot, then bring them together in a conclusion that is both jaw-dropping and brilliant—and Foley has done so beautifully!

There isn’t a single thing about this novel that I disliked, but I was most impressed with the character development. This author has created a cast as diverse as they are engaging. Each has a story and carries baggage that is seemingly just extraneous information meant to add interest. Nothing, in the end, however, is trivial or included without intent, and these people, brought to life under the watchful eye of Foley, collide in ways the reader never sees coming. The structure switches narration from chapter to chapter, allowing us to invest fully in the story as we are guided to make predictions based on the insight each character provides. Nothing, however, can prepare us for the myriad twist and turns which leave the reader unsettled and slightly off-kilter.

This is definitely a well-written mystery that will grab you and take you along for the ride. Make sure you set aside a few hours, as you won’t want to put it down until the last page has been turned! Four big stars!


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Review: The Grey Woman

The Grey Woman by M.J. Hardy
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I went into this one blind, as I saw it pop on my Amazon feed and just purchased it. Lesson learned. Always read the reviews.

This is a book of two halves. The first half is full of teasers, promises and suspense, and I found myself at the 53% point before I even took a breath. From there, however, the whole thing just fell apart—and when I say “fell apart”, I mean it went so totally off the rails as to have been a complete train wreck. Instead of the action telling the story, the narrator just tells us what happened. It was as if this author wrote a summary to sell the book, contracted for the first few chapters, then found herself (himself?) at a loss and simply relied on that summary to meet a looming deadline. The last 20% or so of the book was an almost expository piece in which each character behaves so far afield of what had been established as to leave the reader feeling like they’ve actually been secretly redirected into another story altogether.

I feel cheated out of what had promised to be a wild ride of a thriller. Instead, I was spoon fed two unlikable main characters who deserved to be held accountable for their unsavory actions, yet were dropped smack into the middle of a happily ever after fairytale full of unicorns and rainbows. Just....no.

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Review: The Class Reunion

The Class Reunion by N.L. Hinkens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Strictly mediocre story with scenarios that stretched the ability of this reader to suspend disbelief. The convoluted and round-about resolution were, together. just a bridge too far. Beyond the chaotic plot, the characters themselves were one-dimensional and under-developed, none particularly likable nor engaging. By the time the final page was turned, I was disinterested and wanted it to end. Three stars for the author being able to keep track of the plot amid the tangled web of intersecting storylines.

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Review: Who's That Girl?

Who's That Girl? by Mhairi McFarlane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I honestly enjoyed this read, with a few painful caveats. I won’t rehash the plot, as plenty of other reviews here cover that in spades. What I will say, however, is that author McFarlane took far too long to get things moving, then made some questionable choices in the denouement—choices that left me feeling a bit bitter, very cheated and just generally dissatisfied.

Main character Edith “Edie” Thompson is portrayed as a thirty-five year old woman who never really matured emotionally past the age of about twenty-one. She is self-deprecating, exceedingly insecure and is notoriously poor at assessing the character of those with whom she socializes. Her questionable life choices, and subsequent inability to self-reflect with any degree of success, dominates more of the novel than the relationship in which she becomes entangled and which, presumably, is the crux of the novel. I may have respected the story line more had the book been sold as an introspective narrative instead of a quirky rom-com. While her journey towards a deeper understanding of self is noble and at first blush has great potential, it is fraught with missteps and miscues that ruined the magic of the budding romance.

Overall, I wish the author had focused more on either Edie’s “coming of age” or the development of a romantic relationship with actor and heart-throb Elliott Owen. Either of these may have worked independently as the focus, but with the attention split between the two, both were found to be lacking in both breadth and depth.

If all this weren’t bad enough, this book featured more British colloquialisms than two East-Enders engaging in Cockney rhyming slang. Without my Brit husband to translate, much of the local dialect would have been lost on me, though I will admit to eventually just giving up and skipping past the local references. To have understood them all would have meant far too much work for a light read.

Three and a half stars, rounded down for the cheap ending.

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Review: Rocket Science

Rocket Science by Emily Mayer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you’re looking for a book so saccharine sweet it may even damage your teeth, look no further. This book is sure to satisfy any need for superficial rom-com. All in all, I will admit it was an easy read that I breezed through in an evening, though I failed to truly invest in any of the characters along the way.

The story is that of a geeky, bespectacled woman (Lennon) wooed by a hunky athlete (Sebastian). Lennon is an aerospace engineer, portrayed as socially awkward to the extreme. In fact, although her quirky mannerisms and backward behaviors are explained away as consequences of having been a medically-fragile child, the overall impression left me wondering if perhaps the author had either over-reached or intended the reader to suspect Aspergers. Sebastian, on the other hand, is an aging, though publicly recognized and wildly successful, soccer star, recently traded from Manchester United in the UK to the Supernovas in the US. Lennon and Sebastian end up doing a courtship tango that, for me, simply didn’t ring true. Not for a minute was I able to get past my cynical first impression, which was, WHY?

Lennon, at numerous points throughout the book, seems to be closer to 18 than her actual 26 years, and the book fails to move me past that sticking point. Sure, she’s smart, but Mayer never develops her beyond a geeky stereotype. Lennon enjoys Harry Potter, LOTR and Netflix teen rom-coms, and is content to build LEGO architecture in lieu of going out. Sebastian, however, has a playboy reputation, is hounded by paparazzi and lives in a minimalist apartment—a stereotypic professional athlete. The chemistry between the two is supposed to be vibrant and all encompassing, but it felt lukewarm at best, as I struggled to understand the connection. The reader is never privy to Sebastian’s thought processes regarding the relationship, so we are left to rely on Lennon’s skewed perspective. As such, there never felt like any frisson existed between them—no spark to explain their relationship.

Most good stories pivot on some time of conflict that offers the reader a seat at the table as that conflict is examined and, on some level, resolved. Rocket Science just never really offers anything beyond “girl meets boy and lives happily ever after.” Even the few social situations explored, offering a plethora of opportunities to give the reader insight into Lennon’s struggles and Sebastian’s reactions, always ended on a positive note with zero issues—unicorns and rainbows for everyone.

It’s quite possible that my mindset just wasn’t where it needed to be for this feel-good, life-is-a-bed-of-roses story. In the end, however, I was left with lingering doubts as to Sebastian’s motivations and Lennon’s sudden ability to seamlessly slide into a lifestyle so different from the one she knew. Just not for me.

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Review: The Stand-in

The Stand-in by Lauren Campbell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Unlikable characters and unlikely scenarios are on the menu in this unremarkable rom-com. The premise has been done to death—pretend to be his girlfriend for a “meet-the-parents”. Author Lauren Campbell then adds chaos in the form of identical twins; friends who are, at best, “quirky”; and a toothless chihuahua who attacks for fun. The result is messy and uninviting, which is unfortunate, as Campbell’s writing itself is incredibly engaging. Her humor is dark, sharp and cleaving, but it is wasted on shallow characters and an inane plot. That snarky wit is further diluted with adolescent jokes that just stopped being funny around the age of 12 (fart jokes and crude sexual innuendo). The final nail in the coffin was a gratuitous sex scene that was awkward and pivoted on frat boy humor that simply didn’t work.

I would love to see this author really dig in, hire a new editor and write some serious fiction. She definitely has the chops for it!

3 stars for the writing alone.

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Review: One By One

One By One by Freida McFadden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really need to learn not to rely strictly on reviews for recommendations, as it seems more and more often I find myself at odds with the majority. This supposed “thriller” demonstrates my point beautifully. While most of those who reviewed the book found it to be “captivating”, I found it to be tedious and redundant, populated with characters whom I disliked from the very beginning. The story was short on detail, save the three or four specifics that were repeated ad nauseam—Claire is unhappy, Claire loves her children, Michelle is a cold fish, Warner is handsome. Over. And over. And over.

Three stars for effort and the fact that it was mercifully short.

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Review: The Best of Friends

The Best of Friends by Lucinda Berry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have mentioned this before, but with age has come an increased sensitivity to all things “heart-wrenching”. I even now cry during Hallmark commercials, and Lifetime movies are simply out of the question. Why, then, knowing the premise of this book did I pick it up? As an overly-sensitive, menopausal mother of three, I am cursing myself; as a book-lover with an appreciation for the art of writing, I’m so glad I did.

The story is of three teenage boys, longtime friends and sons of three women who had grown up together and were thrilled that their kids were following in their footsteps. There’s Sawyer, the epitome of the “dumb jock”; Jacob, the even-keeled smart kid; and Caleb, the dark horse with a temper that mirrors that of his abusive father. When a night together results in one of the boys dead, another in a vegetative state and the third nearly catatonic, one mother will stop at nothing to find out the truth about what happened. As the story unravels, the emotional rollercoaster roars through hairpin turns and stomach-churning drops, leaving plenty of tears in its wake.

Had I know how deeply this book would affect me, I honestly may have thought twice about picking it up and giving it a go. As a mother, this will live with me for quite some time; likewise as a reader, as it’s well-constructed, with diverse characters who all have their own crosses to bear—a novel that hit with a one-two punch in the final chapters that, while not completely unexpected, left me feeling spent. Any book that can be the catalyst for that type of reaction on both fronts is deserving of the stars.

If you have the chops for this kind of turmoil and angst, I would highly recommend diving in. If, however, you are like me and prefer something without the triggers of domestic abuse and child mortality that result in a tsunami of tears, I would think twice.

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Review: Love Your Life

Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am a mad Sophie Kinsella fan for those days when I’m in need of a light read and a smile. Love Your Life, however, was a profound disappointment, failing to deliver either an engaging read or a single smile. The characters were unlikable, the plot was stale and the humor which I usually find so endearing in a Kinsella novel was simply nonexistent. I think if this had been was any other writer, I would have shelved it as a DNF after the first fifty or so pages when I had still failed to invest in any aspect of the writing. From the very beginning, it struck me as cliche and trite (two 30 something’s meeting while on a writers’ retreat in Italy, falling victim to the romance of the location and, once removed from the Italian landscape finding the bright spotlight of reality far too revealing of flaws and blemishes they had overlooked), and the plot just never transcended that first impression. By the end, it was all too “kumbaya”, even for Kinsella.

Giving this three stars when it should probably be two—with credit for the minor characters, who were far more interesting than those around whom the story revolves. There is definitely a problem when the dog (Harold) is the most entertaining thing about the story. I so hope this is a one off and Kinsella once again finds her footing.

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Review: Dear Child

Dear Child by Romy Hausmann
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

While many folks appear to have really enjoyed this one, I found it to be, at best, as tedious as wading through molasses. The melodramatic prose left me feeling ankle-deep in over-indulgent text that transformed one paragraph of “story” into an entire chapter of blather. By the time I turned the final page, I didn’t give a damn about a single character and found myself scanning back, sure I had missed something, ruing the hours it took me to read this as time that would have been better spent doing just about anything else. So it’s not amateur writing and author Romy Hausmann can certainly turn a phrase—I only wish those “phrases” weren’t mini-excursions that required more stamina than this old gal could muster.

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Review: Earthlings

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’m a rabid proponent of artistic freedom and will defend the artist’s right to create his version of his craft at all costs, provided no one is being abused, violated or exploited in the process. I don’t have to agree with the vision to appreciate or accept the product produced. It is with that mindset that I offer three faintly shining stars (actually 2.5, rounded up) to Earthlings. I respect Sayaka Murata and her artistic endeavors, but for me, this read as nothing more than a series of strung together scenes designed to shock the reader, each increasingly bizarre and off beat, difficult to read and certainly disturbing. The themes of asexuality, pedophilia, the sanctity of marriage and mental illness are all on parade here, addressed with a detachment that is as chilling as the subjects themselves. There is, however, no value in the treatment of these societal taboos. Instead, they are used much like jump-scares in horror films—a cheap trick to elicit a visceral reaction, void of any additional intent or deeper meaning. I was reminded of Sick Bastards by Matt Shaw, though Shaw’s work carried just beneath the surface some semblance of a plot that unfolded as the story progressed, while Murata’s “story” lacked this basic component. The fragile thread that functioned in lieu of a plot was loosely twisted, then stretched to the point of being almost nonexistent. That sometimes invisible thread of continuity would surface then disappear, used by this author in an attempt to stitch together a haphazardly constructed train of thought that went off the rails more often than it stayed on track.

Overall, three stars for originality and for Murata’s courage in staying true to her vision. This just wasn’t the book for me.

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Review: Spoiler Alert

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Things I wish I had known BEFORE I paid for this:

1. The characters are in their late 30s, going on 15.
2. There’s something out there called “fan fic”.
3. “Fan fic” has its own language, a full set of acronyms, and needs its own dictionary.
3b. This book does not have a glossary nor a dictionary addendum.
4. Costumed cosplay is something adults aspire to.
5. Grown adults write stories featuring well-known serial television characters and get off on making these stories explicit.
6. The story of Aeneas.
7. That a self-proclaimed, heretofore unknown “fat girl” super fan who enjoys rocks can snag an A-list actor from the most popular series on television.
8. That the word “round”, when used ad nauseam, can provoke in me mega-hostility.
9. That an author can find a publisher even when she embraces a double standard of the concept of “beauty”, creates shallow characters, and refuses to use a thesaurus for alternatives to the word “round”
10. That Amazon probably won’t refund my money.

Unless you’re under 21, enjoy cringe-worthy sex scenes, and are familiar with fan fic and all that entails, I would skip this one altogether.

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Review: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

We are two days into 2021 and thus far no five stars—and I had such high hopes! This murder mystery/suspense novel seemed, out of the gate, destined to be a winner. All that promise, however, fizzled out, slowly, before crawling to an unlikely conclusion. Between that startling beginning and anti-climactic finish, there were moments of brilliance. Author Holly Jackson clearly can write! Unfortunately, those moments were overshadowed by a plethora of possible suspects whose stories, though they intersected with the main plot, served to make it sometimes feel as if the plot were moving forward through thick sludge. It was this muck that made the journey too much work.

I did enjoy the unique format for the novel (narrative interspersed with project notes and diagrams), and found the main characters, Pip and Ravi, to be sympathetic, though the breadth of their reach in the small community of Fairview strained the limits of my ability to suspend disbelief. Jackson’s character development kept me reading and saved this from ending up as a DNF.

I am going to definitely explore more of Jackson’s work, and I look forward to doing so. I hope, however, that she ups the ante and quickens the pace. If she does, I’m sure whatever she writes will be worth all the stars.

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Review: The Other Couple

The Other Couple by Cathryn Grant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book came straight from the psych thriller category, with a jacket blurb that was incredibly intriguing. Unfortunately, after turning the final page and closing the cover, I am to unequivocally state that this was neither a thriller nor intriguing. Instead, this tome was flat and slow, featured an entire cast of wholly unlikable characters and held no secrets, surprises or twists to make it worth finishing the read. It was average in every sense of the word. Seriously. I wouldn’t bother.

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Review: The Dilemma

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I will eventually pen a review for this one, but for now I need to deal with the tremendous sadness that enveloped me as the novel raced to its tragic conclusion. I wish I had searched for triggers before I even started it, as the older I get, the less able I am to shrug off heartbreak as being the result of “just a story.” I think as we age, we have more experiences in our lives that we are forced to revisit when we encounter something tear-worthy. So, for now, well done, B.A. Paris, and damn you for the heartache.

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Review: Leave the World Behind

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I am once again gobsmacked at the inordinate number of five star reviews for a book that is obtuse, obscure and tedious. From the very first pages, this author’s pretentious use of vocabulary makes reading an experience akin to swimming through a thesaurus.

Myriad examples of this author’s self-indulgent style litter the pages. Instead of saying the occupants of the car weren’t paying attention: “None of them really saw the highway landscape. The brain abets the eye; eventually your expectations of a thing supersede the thing itself.” Instead of saying Archie ordered chicken nuggets: “Archie requested a grotesque number of little briquettes of fried chicken. He dumped these into a paper bag, mixed in some French fries, dribbled in the contents of a small foil-topped container of a sweet and sticky brown sauce, and chewed contentedly.” Seriously? If, as some authors contend, every word should “matter”, It’s clear that author Rumaan Alam didn’t get the memo.

I will concede that there are some interesting stylistic choices made by Alam. As the book climbs to its climax and panic sets in, Alam feeds those fires by clipping his sentences and sending in dialogue that is short, brusque and staccato. Conversations also become more introspective, internalized and needy, as underdeveloped characters search for meaning given limited context for what is happening around them. When their situation becomes more dire and one of the children falls ill with grotesque side effects, it is presented with disturbing objectivity—the severity diminished by the group’s reluctance to acknowledge it. They are by that time making decisions, or not making decisions, paralyzed by their fears that may or may not be justified. Like Schrödinger’s cat, the supposed catastrophic event both exists and doesn’t exist as they are swept up in alternating waves of acceptance and denial. That they move between these conditions becomes disconcerting and disorienting; surreal and hazy. That they may be facing the consequences of a world turning against itself, in which case children die and difficult choices are made, is far too grim to consider and is at once countered by their implied hope that they are wrong and help is a short drive away.

At the point where these characters finally do decide to take action, the book abruptly ends, almost mid-thought, leaving the reader flipping pages, convinced something must have been missed. Surely, SURELY, no author would just....stop? And yet....there it is. A betrayal by the author after committing to the read—an assumed pay off pulled from under the reader, resulting not in the smooth finale of the magician who expertly slips the tablecloth from beneath settings of fine china, but rather in a “toes to the edge of the ledge” position, looking for that safety net and instead gazing down into a dark void of absolutely nothing.

Disappointing at best, any redeeming qualities lost to the shock of a conclusion that was apparently left on the cutting room floor. The avant- guard reach was, in the end, a bridge too far and made it impossible for this reader to forgive a plethora of sins committed in the name of author hubris.


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Review: The Idea of You

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First, yes, I’m late to the party. Second, I think this cover is perhaps one of the worst on record. And third, Jesus, I loved the book. I’ve marked this review as one huge spoiler, because, seriously, while I want to live in the world author Robinne Lee here created, I also want to berate her and demand she rewrite the ending—a conclusion that could never be called a resolution, and a final page that left me awash in tears. Ok, some of that could be due to menopause (Mother Nature is one cruel bitch), but in allowing the beautiful love affair, penned into existence in the first hundred pages, to be discarded in some noble pursuit of parental-responsibility, Lee lays waste to the notion that as older women we can, indeed, have it all. And that was a truth that, throughout this emotional rollercoaster ride, I had been encouraged and moved to accept, right along with gleeful optimism posited on the platitudes that claim age doesn’t render a woman invisible; that time doesn’t favor those with youth on their side; that true love and romantic fantasy together are possible. In fact, the final pages of The Idea of You trampled those emerging beliefs and, after a few far too brief hours reveling in the possibilities, left me once again a tired, aging woman propelled back to earth in what can best be described as a crash-landing return to reality.

Highly recommended to those with enough of a positive self-image and view of aging to keep from being completely despondent when the rug is pulled out from underneath them.


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